A New Beginning
by Fate Lowe
Summary: Relena is institutionalized after a nervous breakdown. What caused it and what can the gang do to help?


Disclaimer: Don't own GW…Don't sue…Please and Thank you.

AN: This is a story that just came out of my twisted imagination. Just like most of my other ideas. Hope you enjoy.

A New Beginning

By: Fate Lowe

A tall man with long platinum blonde hair walks through the halls of a hospital. The palms of his shaking hands are clammy and his face is creased into a frown. He walks up to the reception desk.

"Mr. Peacecraft. How are you doing today?"

"How do you think?" Milliardo snapped.

"Sorry. I'll get the doctor for you."

"No, I'm sorry I snapped. Thank you."

The receptionist smiled and turned to the intercom.

"Dr. Chang please report to the front desk. Dr. Chang please report to the front desk."

Moments later a woman with light brown hair gathered in two twists walked up to Milliardo.

"Hello, Zechs."

"Hi Sally. How is she?"

"Not much of a change. Come on, I'll tell you more as we walk."

They started walking down a hallway that Milliardo knew all too well.

"She's still having the nightmares. She's still not talking to anyone. She's not responding to anything at all."

"What can we do to help?"

"I think you know what she needs."

"No, we can find a way to help her without him."

They stopped at a door as Sally pulled out her keys. She unlocked the door and opened it. There was a young woman with honey blonde hair sitting on the bed. Her sapphire blue eyes looking hopefully at the door.

"Heero!?"

She quickly turned away when she realized the man standing in the doorway was not who she had been waiting for.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call him? It might be her only hope."

"You will not. We'll find a way."

"I hope you're right."

Sally sighed as she turned and walked down the hallway to tend to her other patients.

Heero sat in his apartment watching the news. After Relena's nervous breakdown, he hadn't heard anything.

'They must be keeping things quiet. That's good. She doesn't need negative publicity.'

He sighed as he turned off the television. He stood up from the couch and walked to his bedroom. He sat on the bed and opened the book he was currently reading. He tried focusing on the words he was reading. It wasn't working. He caught his eyes sliding over to his bedside table. They rested on the framed picture sitting there. Standing in front of the Peacecraft mansion was the whole gang. It was Milliardo and Noin's wedding day. They stood on the top step. Heero, Relena, Duo, and Hildi stood on the step below them. Catherine, Trowa, Auora, Quatre, Dorathy, Wufei, and Sally stood on the step below them. His eyes were focused on the smiling young woman standing beside him in the picture.

"Relena. You were so happy then. What happened?"

He put the book down beside the picture and turned the lamp off. He laid down and drifted off to sleep, images of his Angel drifting through his head.

Relena sat on her bed holding the one thing she refused to be parted with, a well-worn, brown teddy bear. She clutched it to her chest as she cried. Sally watched her through the two-way mirror. A tear slide down her cheek as she watched the scene before her. Relena did this every night and it broke Sally's heart more every time.

"You ready to go, Sal?"

Sally turned around. In the doorway stood a young man with eyes the same jet black as his hair.

"I just wish there was something we could do to help her, Wufei."

"We all want to help, but Milliardo refuses to let us call him. There's nothing we can do until he agrees."

Sally walked over to the door. They exited the room and walked down the hall, Wufei's arm around his wife.

Heero went to work, as he did everyday, at a software company in America. He had vowed to make himself a better person, to find his own place in this new world of peace. It had been three years since the Marimiea coup-de-ta. Three years since he had made that vow. He was happy with the change at first, but now he was getting bored. He hadn't talked to any of his comrades since Trowa and Auora's wedding last year. Milliardo and Noin were the first one's to get married. Next was Sally and Wufei. Duo and Hildi were married five month's later. Trowa and Auora, married, just about a year after. That meant he was the only one left. He laughed as the memories of the last wedding came to him.

_Flashback_

_"So, Heero, when are you taking the plunge and joining the rest of us?" Duo said, as he walked up to his silent friend. "Not sure yet, huh?" Duo chuckled._

_"You know, she won't wait forever."_

_The braided man walked off, his best friend watching him depart._

_End Flashback_

"I think he was right, maybe I should have said something to her then. Maybe she wouldn't have had that breakdown if I was there to help her."

"Mr. Yuy?"

"Yes, Cindy, what is it?"

"There's a call for you on line two. He said his name is Shinigami?"

"Thank you."

Heero smirked as his secretary closed the door.

"Speak of the devil and there he is."

He picked up the phone and pressed the line two button.

"Heero Yuy."

"Heero, buddy. How ya been?"

"Hey, Duo. I'm doing fine. How's the family?"

"Great. Hildi's pregnant. I'm so excited. I can't wait to be a dad."

"Congratulations."

"So, what about you. Found anybody to start a family with yet?"

"Nope. How is everybody else doing?"

"Zechs and Noin are still goin' strong, same for Sal and Wu-man. Trowa and Auora are doin' good. They can't wait to start a family."

After that, Duo got silent.

"How's Relena?" Heero said, failing to keep the concern out of his voice.

"Not so good man. She's been institutionalized since her nervous breakdown."

"What!? She's been in a mental institution for the past two months and nobody called me!"

"Sorry, man, Zechs told us not to."

"What did Relena want?"

Duo hesitated.

"Duo!?"

"You're the only one she asks for. She doesn't talk to anybody. All she does is sit in her room and hold a brown teddy bear. She refuses to let it go. None of us know why. We don't even know where she got it."

Heero was silent as the tears started to form in his eyes.

"Heero?"

"I gave it to her for her sixteenth birthday. I'm coming to visit her. What hosp ital is she in?"

"Cherry Grove Mental Institution. Don't tell anyone that I called and told you."

"Got it. Thanks Duo."

"Your welcome, buddy. See ya soon."

"Yeah, see ya."

"Dr. Chang, please report to the front desk. Dr. Chang please report to the front desk."

Sally stood at the announcement and headed down the hall.

'Milliardo again, probably.'

She reached the front lobby. She gasped and her eyes grew wide. She smiled as a tall man with dark brown hair looked up at her.

"Why, hello, Heero. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Hello, Sally. How is she?"

"Let's talk as I take you to her."

He nodded his head and followed her down the hallway.

"She hasn't been doing very well. For the past two months, she hasn't talked to anyone. We have to force her to eat. I watch her cry herself to sleep every night. There's just nothing that we can do for her. Everything that we've tried has failed. So, he finally called you?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Duo. He's been telling me since this started that he was going to."

"Hn."

"Don't worry, I won't tell Milliardo. He'd kill him. Besides, I'm glad he called. I think you are the only one that can help her."

They stopped in front of a door. Heero looked through the small window as Sally took out her keys and unlocked the door. It was the first time he'd seen Relena in a year. To him, she still looked as beautiful as the last time he saw her, even in the her condition.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

Sally opened the door. Relena jumped up in bed.

"Heero!?"

When she only saw Sally in the doorway, she turned away. Sally looked over at Heero. She noticed a single tear slide down his cheek and his hands clench into fists, at his sides.

'So, he finally found his emotions. Good.'

She smiled to herself as she stepped aside to let him enter. She shut the door behind him but didn't lock it. Heero walked over and knelt in front of Relena. He brushed the tears off of her cheek. She didn't even look up.

"Relena."

Sally walked into the lobby, to meet Milliardo.

"Hello, Zechs. How are you today?"

"Cut the small talk Sally. How is she?"

"Same as before, but I think that she is going to start feeling better."

"Why is that?"

"He's here."

"What!?"

"He's in with her now."

"You let him see her without informing me first."

"Zechs, it's what she wants. I'm not going to deny it to her. Would you like to see her reaction?"

"Yes."

They walked down the hall. They entered the observation room next to Relena's room. Milliardo watched his sister through the two-way mirror. Sally walked over and turned the sound on. Now, they could see and hear everything that went on in the room.

Relena looked up at the sound of his voice.

"Heero?"

"Yes, Lena, it's me."

"Oh Heero!"

Relena threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, as she cried on his shoulder.

"I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Angel. Sorry I didn't came back sooner."

"You're here now. That's what matters."

He sat Relena back down on the bed and sat down next to her.

"What happened, Lena?"

Milliardo watched, tears coursing down his cheeks, as his sister talked with the, formerly silent, ex-pilot of Wing Zero.

"Who called him, Sal?"

"Nobody. He showed up on his own, this morning."

"Bullshit. There's no way he would have known that she was here, unless someone told him. Now, please, tell me who called him."

"You promise not kill them?"

"How could I kill the person that saved my sister's life?"

Milliardo smiled as he turned towards Sally.

"I just want to thank them."

"Duo called him. All of us wanted to, but none of us had the guts."

"I don't blame you. I'll be by tomorrow to check on her."

"See ya then."

Milliardo turned and walked out of the room. Sally turned and looked at the young couple. She smiled to herself. She turned off the sound and walked out of the room, confident that her patient was on her way to a speedy recovery.

"Hey, Zechs. This is unexpected. What brings you by?"

"I need to speak with Duo, Hildi."

"About what?" Hildi said.

Her hand trembled as she ran it through her short purple hair.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Look, he did what he did to help her. You aren't going to kill him for it."

"I don't want to kill him. I saw the look on her face. She's coming back. I just want to thank him for not listening to me and calling Yuy."

"Ok, I trust you. Come on in."

They walked into the living room and Milliardo sat down on the couch.

"I'll be right back."

Hildi exited the room. She walked to the garage, where her husband was restoring a vintage 1969 Camero SS.

"Who was that at the door Hildi, babe?"

"It's Zechs. He's in the living room."

Duo jumped at the name and banged his head on the underside of the hood.

"Owww! Did you say Zechs?"

"Yes."

"Why is he here?"

"I think you know why, Duo."

"Shit! I told Heero not to say anything."

"Well, obviously he did."

"Damn it. Oh well, might as well get this over with. I'll wait for you on the other side babe."

He gave he a kiss before heading towards the living room. Hildi smiled as she followed after him. Duo entered the room.

"Hey, Zechs. What's up?"

Zechs stood and walked over to the braided ex-pilot of Deathscythe. He stood in front of him for a moment silently. Then he took Duo into a friendly hug. Duo's eyes almost popped out of his head. Zechs let go and stood back.

"I came here to thank you, Duo Maxwell, for saving my sister's life. You went against my wishes and called Heero Yuy. Today, I saw a smile on Relena's face for the first time in ages. I have you to thank for that. You gave her what she wanted, what she needed. Again, thank you."

"No problem. She's one of my dearest friends. I couldn't stand seeing her that way any longer. I did it for her."

"No, Heero! Please don't go! Stay with me!"

"Lena, I have to go for now. I promise I'll be back first thing in the morning. Ok?"

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I'll see you in the morning, Heero."

"Sweet dreams, Angel."

"Sweet dreams, Heero."

Sally sat in the observation room. She watched Relena as she fell asleep, clutching the bear with a smile on her face.

"Ready to go, Sal?"

"Yeah, Wufei. Let's go."

Heero sat alone in his motel room, staring at the ceiling.

'Why didn't I come back sooner? Why did I put her through all of this? So much pain, and I was the cause. Why couldn't I just tell her? Why did I leave? I'm not going to leave this time. I'm going to tell her how I feel and I'll never leave her side again.'

"I promise."

The next month went by. Relena slowly improved. She would eat on her own and even talk to friends. Heero was there everyday. They would just sit and talk in the room or they would go for walks in the gardens on the hospital grounds. Over time Relena started to smile more. She even laughed every now and then. She no longer cried herself to sleep and her nightmares had gone away completely. Sally deemed her cured and released her. The day she walked out of the hospital everyone was there. Relena walked down the stairs, escorted by Heero and Sally. She was met at the bottom by hugs from all here friends and family members.

Heero and Relena were walking in the gardens around the Peacecraft estate. Relena stopped.

"So Heero. Now that I'm out, what's going to happen between us. Are you just going to leave like you did before?"

Heero turned his head and looked at Relena in shock. She just stared at him waiting for an answer. Slowly, he turned so his body was facing her. He took a hold of her hands.

"Relena, when I left the hospital the first day, I promised myself something. I promised myself that I would never be the cause of your pain ever again. I love you, Lena. You're like my very own Angel. I promise never to leave your side again. If you'll just do me one favor."

Relena stood completely speechless for a few moments.

'Did I just hear him correctly? Did he just say that he loved me?'

"What is this favor that you ask of me, Heero?"

Still holding onto Relena's hands Heero dropped to one knee. He let go of her hands and pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He opened it to reveal a platinum diamond solitaire.

"Will you, Relena Peacecraft, do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Relena stood there in front of Heero. It took her a minute to comprehend what it was that her perfect solider was saying to her. Tears came to her eyes but this time Heero knew they were tears of joy because they were present in his eyes as well when Relena answered him.

"Yes Heero. Of course I'll marry you."

Heero took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. Then he stood up and embraced his now fiancé. Their lips found each other's to share the first of many passionate kisses.

AN: Hey guys so there it is. I hope you liked it. Please read & review. 'Til next time.

Fate Lowe


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